Terske Travel 6/8/16mm Hex Tool for Cinch Cranksets

Every once in a while we find ourselves on the trail or away from home needing a tool that's really, really hard to fake. Say, for example, the 16mm hex key needed for the non-drive side fixing bolt and self-extraction caps on RaceFace and Easton Cinch cranks.

And that's precisely what this is for.

It works with a 12mm thru-axle (not included) and fixes a problem that doesn't come about often but can ruin your day if it does. Consider it part of your extended travel tool kit and toss it in your 'big day' bag, flight case, or the tool wrap that lives in your trunk.

We added deep 6mm and 8mm hexes to the tool to easily tighten external-bearing cranks. Those are common pedal hex sizes too, which makes reassembling a bike in a foreign hotel that much easier than with a pocket-sized tool (pedals should be tightened to 36-40Nm).

Specifications

• Precision machined from SAE 420 stainless steel
• Reassuringly dense and 36g light
• For use with 12mm thru-axles with a 3mm minimum wall thickness

Important Notes

• 40Nm max torque.
  How much is that? It's as if you were hanging 25lb of stuff from the handle, 110mm from the centre of the tool (roughly the middle of your hand at the end of a rear thru-axle). Any more and you're going to want a beefier handle.
• Some fittings, especially 16mm self-extracting lockrings, are awfully shallow. Take care to ensure full engagement and avoid stripping.
• Use only with 12mm thru-axles with a 3mm (1/8in) or thicker wall (6mm max thru hole).
  Common sense is your friend: super-light parts don't like to be used as handles, but those with a 3mm wall (3-3.5mm is common) will give you a good margin of safety when the maximum torque value is observed.
• This is a hand tool: Don't use a cheater bar, hammer, foot, rock or anything else that isn't your hand to apply force.
• If you overdo it and bend your axle, don't put it back in your bike! One, it could get stuck. Two, it could be weakened and fail somewhere down the road. You don't want that and we don't either.
• Wear eye protection. Seriously. You only get two and they're awfully hard to fix. You should have specs on while riding anyway.

Less-Important Notes

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